Cheng son pleased with Alou sentence

The son of murdered police accountant Curtis Cheng says the lengthy sentenced delivered to the man who played a key role in the Sydney terror killing provides his family with a "slight sense of closure".

Raban Alou sourced the loaded gun used by Farhad Jabar - also referred to as Farhad Mohammad - to kill Mr Cheng.

Jabar shot the 58-year-old father of two as he left Parramatta Police Headquarters in October 2015.

Alou on Thursday gave a one-finger Islamic State salute and said "this is the beginning" after being sentenced to at least 33 years behind bars at the NSW Supreme Court.

Alpha Cheng said Thursday "was a very tough day" and his mother was "visibly distressed" when the sentence was being handed down.

"It just brings up a lot of memories and the trauma that the day has brought to her and our family," he told the Nine Network on Friday.

Mr Cheng died instantly and Jabar, 15, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police.

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Alpha Cheng said the sentencing brought a "slight sense of closure for us as a family" but this was only the first of multiple trials going on this year.

But the sentence "sends a tough message that such acts and acts of terrorism and violence are not tolerated at all in Australia," he said.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Peter Johnson on Thursday sentenced Alou to 44 years in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring a terrorist act.

It's the first time anyone in Australia has been convicted and sentenced for that offence.

Justice Johnson said Alou was an active planner who played a lead role in the murder and Jabar couldn't have committed it without his assistance.

He said the 20-year-old's outburst confirmed he felt no remorse and his prospects for rehabilitation were "almost hopeless".

Alou's lack of contrition was "demonstrated most starkly" in a prison phone call last year when he said "I do not regret one single thing that I did on that day" and "I'm never ever going to say I'm sorry for what I did".

As he was led from the court he gave the Islamic State salute and warned "this is the beginning".

He will be aged in his 50s when he is eligible for parole.

Alpha Cheng told the Seven Network that it was "a strong punishment to someone who has not shown any sort of remorse or intrusion for his actions".

He said that while he still felt anger and frustration over losing his father, he chose to channel it in the most positive way possible.

"It's my act of defiance against those that seek to create harm and injustice in society," he said.

"That's how dad would have wanted it. If something terrible has happened he would not want us to wallow in the sadness, but really to move on and try to find as much hope for our future.